CSC Progress Report: Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 2023 to 2024

Message from the Champion

I am pleased to present our annual Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ARDEI) Progress Report for 2023 to 2024, a comprehensive overview of our achievements, challenges, and strategic direction. This report highlights the key advancements and initiatives undertaken by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to advance anti-racism, foster a diverse and inclusive workforce, develop meaningful relationships with stakeholders and better meet the needs of offenders in our care and custody.

CSC's commitment to creating a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion within the organization, while addressing systemic barriers and promoting positive change continues to be unwavering. Through a collective effort and strategic focus on these critical areas, CSC continues to drive progress towards a more just and equitable correctional system for everyone.

The initiatives outlined in this report are aligned with important federal initiatives such as:

• Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028
• Canada’s Black Justice Strategy,
• the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan, 
• the Canada’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan as well as 
• the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) reports,
• the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service and 
• the Office of Auditor General (OAG) Reports: Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees

By drawing direction from these key frameworks, our organization continues to prioritize the well-being of our employees as part of our commitment to fostering an inclusive and more equitable workplace. Additionally, we remain dedicated to creating better correctional outcomes for Black, Indigenous and other racialized offenders and collaborating with community stakeholders.

I invite you to explore this report which features some of our key highlights, including the development of CSC’s first-ever Black Offender Strategy, an important milestone that underscores our commitment to the Black offender population in our federal institutions as they are the second most over-represented group. This past fiscal year, we also saw the completion of the Audit of Organizational Culture and the creation of a dedicated team to lead our culture evolution. Additionally, CSC has refreshed its Anti-Racism Framework and Actions, which has been renamed to the ARDEI Framework and Actions.

In building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, CSC focuses on representation goals, accessibility planning, and gender considerations to promote equal opportunities and inclusivity. Efforts to foster a safe, respectful, and healthy environment include enhancing accessibility and inclusion at all levels of the organization.

We continue to inform stakeholders regarding CSC’s ARDEI initiatives and progress and promote awareness of available resources and networks. The ARDEI Directorate’s national consultations with diverse community partners, offenders, and staff have been instrumental in shaping policy development and the forthcoming ARDEI Framework and Action Plan.

I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our team, networks, partners and stakeholders. Your unwavering support and hard work have been instrumental in our success. As we look forward, we are excited about the opportunities ahead.

Kirstan Gagnon

Assistant Commissioner, Public Affairs, Culture and Engagement, Champion of Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion and National Chair of the Employment Equity and Diversity Committees

Overview

CSC published its first annual ARDEI Progress Report on October 16, 2023, to report on CSC’s efforts and achievements in addressing systemic racism, promoting diversity and inclusion since the establishment of its Anti-Racism Framework in 2021. This second annual report covers the period of October 2023 to October 2024. It showcases CSC’s commitment to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the offender population and creating an inclusive culture where every employee, offender and stakeholder feels valued and respected.

The report emphasizes CSC’s investment in promoting mental health and well-being at CSC, as well as providing a transparent account of some of the challenges we acknowledged we face as we purposefully seek solutions and opportunities for meaningful progress.

Continuous efforts to advance anti-racism

The ARDEI Directorate, established in 2022, supports CSC’s efforts to create an anti-racist organization that is more inclusive, diverse and equitable. The raison d’être of the directorate is to coordinate ARDEI actions across the organization and provide support to the Offices of Primary Interest (OPI) in identifying, refining and/or implementing ARDEI actions, under the Assistant Commissioner (AC), Public Affairs, Culture and Engagement (PACE), who also serves as the Champion for Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion. ARDEI works side-by-side with OPIs, all functional areas and regions of CSC to achieve a unified, coordinated approach to anti-racism efforts.

CSC first released the Anti-Racism Framework and Actions in 2020. This framework serves as a road map to address and dismantle discriminatory practices, foster a culture of inclusivity, and uphold the values of equality and justice within CSC. The adoption of this framework is a demonstration of CSC’s commitment to creating a more equitable and anti-racist correctional system that reflects the principles of fairness, respect, and dignity.

An updated ARDEI Framework and Actions 2023 to 2024 will be released before the end of the current fiscal year. It provides a comprehensive overview of our progress in implementing interventions, initiatives, projects, and policy changes aimed at addressing systemic racism, while promoting equity, diversity and inclusion throughout our organization.

In recent years, CSC has expanded culturally responsive approaches to improve outcomes for Indigenous Peoples, in an effort to meaningfully address the ongoing impacts of colonization. CSC appointed its first-ever Deputy Commissioner for Indigenous Corrections (DCIC), Kathy Neil, a Métis woman, on May 1, 2023. The DCIC will seek opportunities to expand relationships with Indigenous community partners critical to delivering culturally responsive interventions and services. CSC continues to work with criminal justice partners and Indigenous communities to support the safe and successful reintegration of Indigenous offenders.

CSC continues to foster relationships and partnerships with Indigenous organizations and communities, other orders of government, agencies, and other community stakeholders, in addressing the issues and recommendations raised in the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) Annual Report 2022 to 2023.

CSC has developed a relationship with the University of Alberta to enable outreach to the university’s Indigenous students, informing them of CSC’s employment opportunities. In addition, CSC is piloting the Indigenous Career Navigator Program to support Indigenous employees with their career development and support managers seeking to recruit and/or support Indigenous employees. The organization will continue its participation in community initiatives for Red Dress Day to form community partnerships and raise awareness on the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

CSC seeks opportunities to engage Indigenous, Black, and other racialized or marginalized communities to:

• raise awareness of CSC’s National Victim Services Program
• share information about the program, and
• learn more about the victim needs in those specific communities

CSC seeks to improve its Victim Services’ National Stakeholder Registry by identifying the services and populations that it serves, and by maintaining ongoing collaboration and communication with existing partners and stakeholders to obtain guidance on targeted outreach. CSC will identify new organizations to work with, including potential advisory bodies.

Building a diverse and inclusive workforce

In November 2023, eligible employment equity and equity-seeking employees at the EX minus 1, EX minus 2 levels were invited to submit their application to participate in Cohort 2 of the Leadership Connexion Program (LCP). Launched in 2022, the LCP is CSC’s version of the Mentorship Plus Program offered by the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS). The LCP promotes CSC’s priorities and commitments to remove barriers and implement strategies that focus on inclusive leadership development as well as accelerate progress in the representation of designated employment equity groups and equity-deserving communities in the most senior ranks. Cohort 1 has 6 successful protégé alumni, many of whom have experienced upward career mobility, and Cohort 2 was recently established with 12 new pairs of protégés and sponsors. There were 39 applications received and 26 eligible candidates. Each Regional Deputy Commissioner launched a regional callout for EX-02 and EX-03’s to self-nominate as sponsors, resulting in 14 self-nominations. Protégés and sponsors were matched in May 2024.

CSC is participating in the 15-month Mosaic Leadership Development Program, which is an executive development program for equity-seeking employees with the goal of increasing diversity within the senior ranks of the public service led by TBS. This program had 1 successful protégé alumni from Cohort 1 and they have experienced upward career mobility. Cohort 2 is currently underway, and the Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) has admitted both of CSC’s nominated candidates into the program; 1 has been indeterminately appointed to an executive position.

The 2021 to 2022 Employment Systems Review informed the development of the 2022 to 2025 Comprehensive Plan on Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) that was developed through consultation with employees, labour partners, and the National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee (NEAC). Leaders across the organization are responsible for implementing the actions found within the Comprehensive Plan in support of CSC’s efforts to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to full participation in the workplace for all employees.

CSC continues to work towards the completion of objectives set out in the 2022 to 2025 Comprehensive Plan, which is based on the findings from the 2021 to 2022 Employment Systems Review, the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, as well as reports from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

The purpose of the Plan is to establish objectives to remove barriers, ensure equal opportunities for members of employment equity groups and measure initiatives for an inclusive workplace. This is an integral part of ensuring that CSC workforce is representative of the Canadian population and the offender population it serves. CSC is working towards the next iteration of the Plan for 2025 to 2028.

CSC increased outreach efforts to ethnocultural and Indigenous communities to improve representation in the Correctional Officers population. A specialized recruitment inventory enables Indigenous Peoples to submit applications for consideration in job openings. The overall hires for Indigenous and racialized employees have increased since 2021. Hiring objectives for women and persons with disabilities were established to address representation gaps.

The 2022 to 2025 Accessibility Plan aims to identify and eliminate accessibility barriers for CSC employees and offenders. The 2022 Action Plan for Women Employees aims to eliminate gender-based discrimination, provide a safe work environment, and offer professional development. A Correctional Officer (CX) level 01 recruitment campaign specifically for women was launched in June 2023. A CX-01 process for persons with disabilities was launched March 27th, 2024, and assessments are ongoing.

In response to the Auditor General of Canada’s 2022 report on Systemic Barriers, the Women Offender Sector (WOS) conducted a review of the targeted Primary Worker staffing ratio for women’s institutions and the healing lodges. Dr. Rose Ricciardelli, from Memorial University, completed a final report and has shared it with WOS. She presented the report’s findings and recommendations to the Wardens from women offender institutions on June 21, 2024. WOS is conducting additional consultation with key stakeholders, both internally and externally. The final recommendations have been presented to CSC’s Executive Committee (EXCOM) in September 2024 and were approved.

In the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, CSC’s representation rates and workforce availability (WFA) targets were as follows:

• Indigenous Peoples: 9.7% of employees self-identified as being Indigenous, exceeding the WFA of 7.4%
• Racialized Persons: 12.6% of employees self-identified as a member of a racialized group, exceeding the WFA of 10.3%
• Women: 51.2% of employees self-identified as women, falling short of the WFA of 52.8%
• Persons with Disabilities: 6.4% of employees self-identified as being a person with disabilities, falling below the WFA of 9.4%

In addition to representation, in 2021, CSC set hiring objectives to increase representation of women and persons with disabilities over a 4-year period to meet the workforce availability by the 2025 target date. In the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, the hiring objective for persons with disabilities was 463. CSC hired 46 persons with disabilities during this period, showing some progress but highlighting the need for increased efforts. For women, the hiring objective in the executive level (EX) was 20, and CSC exceeded this goal by hiring 25 women. In the CX group, the hiring objective was 452 women, and CSC hired 186 women, demonstrating improvement but indicating further work is necessary.

2023 to 2024 Hiring objectives and results

With only 1 year remaining until the 2025 target date, CSC must intensify its efforts to meet its hiring objectives. For the final year (2024 to 2025 fiscal year), the goal is to hire an additional:

• 696 persons with disabilities
• 694 women in the CX group, and
• 10 women in the EX-level

In Fall 2024, EXCOM approved the renewal of a new set of 4-year hiring objectives, which will be developed at the start of the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year. These objectives continue to be a part of the broader strategy that includes not only hiring but also retaining and developing employees from diverse backgrounds to support their careers at CSC.

Despite the challenges and persistent national employment equity gaps for persons with disabilities and women in the CX and EX groups, CSC is committed to closing these gaps. To support this commitment, staffing advisors are trained to increase representation in staffing processes, evaluate bias and barriers, and utilize public service-wide inventories and pools to enhance representation. To further strengthen diversity and inclusion efforts, CSC’s staffing policy suite, procedures and tools were updated for the coming into force of section 36(2) of the Public Service Employment Act on July 1, 2023, which aims to remove biases and barriers in the assessment of equity seeking groups.

Fostering a safe, respectful and healthy environment

To foster greater diversity and inclusion, CSC has a number of Champions, working groups and employee networks that all support and engage diverse communities, foster partnerships with internal stakeholders on initiatives, and assist the organization in gaining insights into the needs of employment equity groups, with the aim of facilitating concrete actions and driving meaningful change.

CSC remains committed to creating a culture of inclusion, support and equity through active and engaged leadership through national Champions who serve as leaders, championing initiatives that advance inclusion, equity, accessibility, mental health awareness, and employee well-being across the organization. They collectively advocate and support initiatives within CSC and are called upon to assess current policies and programs. Numerous champions directly support ARDEI including the Champions of:

• Anti-Racism
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Persons with Disabilities
• Indigenous employees
• Women
• Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic/Agender, Plus (2SLGBTQIA+)/ Positive Space; and
• Multiculturalism

Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Working Group

The Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Working Group will continue to monitor and share progress of CSC’s 2022 to 2025 Accessibility Plan. In December 2023, CSC published its first progress report on the 2022 to 2025 Accessibility Plan for the period 2022 to 2023. This report reflects CSC’s ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all. In Spring 2024, the National Champion and Chair for PwD, along with the Human Resource Management (HRM) Sector, updated the Working Group’s membership to welcome members who can provide the perspective of neurodiversity to the group. CSC published its second progress report in December 2024 and the working group will be developing the next iteration of CSC’s Accessibility Plan in 2025.

Call to Action Working Group

In 2023, the Clerk of the Privy Council issued a forward direction message to deputies to accelerate the public service’s efforts to tackle racism and to advance:

• reconciliation
• accessibility
• equity, and
• inclusion to build a stronger public service

In response, CSC created an action plan to address the 6 actions to begin tackling persistent barriers within the workplace. Additionally, consultation sessions were held in Winter 2023 with employment equity employees as well as racialized employees and 2SLGBTQIA+ employees to gather input on the items as well as CSC’s actions to address them. Over 180 employees attended the sessions to contribute to the discussion.

In September 2024, a new working group was created to address and implement the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Call to Action Forward Direction of May 2023, which lays out in more detail what departments are being asked to do. This working group, comprised of representatives of different sectors of the organization as well as chairs of CSC’s employee networks, has 2 main objectives. Firstly, the working group will set goals, such as a multi-year hiring and promotional goals for indeterminate positions for Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees, specifically for entry-level positions, executive feeder groups and executives. Using the self-assessment questionnaire from the Clerk, the working group will assess CSC’s progress and identify strategies to obtain better outcomes.

Secondly, the working group will be tasked to support the development of a performance measurement framework on equity and inclusion, which stems from a recommendation from the Auditor General’s report released in October 2023. That report, entitled Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees, made several recommendations specifically, recommendation 5.26 asking each department to develop a measurement framework on their equity and inclusion outcomes. The deadline for this commitment is March 2025, but this could change depending on Treasury Board Secretariat guidance, which is expected to be announced in the fall of 2024.

As part of CSC’s response, our organization committed to establishing a working group with racialized, employees from employment equity groups, and relevant stakeholders to collectively begin to develop performance measurement indicators and outcomes. These will also serve to measure the progress of CSC’s Comprehensive EEDI plan. This work will be completed by September 2025.

2SLGBTQIA+ Employee Working Group

The 2SLGBTQIA+ Champion, with support of the HRM Sector, has launched a national working group dedicated to advocating for the inclusion and well-being of the Two-Spirit, Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender-Diverse community within CSC. The group will focus on the deliverables outlined in the Public Service Pride Network (PSPN) 2023 open letter (PDF) and follow up letter in 2024 (PDF), that focus on recruitment, advancing pronouns and name markers, inclusive washrooms and continuing to promote pride.

CSC supports and promote nominations for the PSPN Awards which honor individuals, teams and organizations that have demonstrated leadership in promoting and strengthening 2SLGBTQIA+, diversity, inclusion, and pride across the public service. CSC is very proud that 1 of its retired employees, Andrea Markowski, received the 2023 Public Service Pride Career Impact Award.

The Commissioner and senior executives attended the 2023 Capital Pride Parade providing a visible commitment from senior officials to support and engage with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. CSC employees across the country have also participated in Pride celebrations closest to them.

CSC continues to support the inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+people in the workplace through the Positive Space Initiative.

Tiger Team on Indigenous Employee Recruitment and Retention

In Spring 2024, the National Champion for Indigenous Employees, with the support of the HRM Sector, updated the Tiger Team membership in preparation for revitalizing the working group in September 2024. The Tiger Team supports the Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections of CSC’s Executive Committee. It was established to develop an action plan to increase representation of Indigenous Peoples and to implement recruitment and retention strategies to support a greater Indigenous workforce presence at all levels of the organization. The working group will review its Terms of Reference and ensure that the Tiger Team Action Plan for Indigenous Retention and Recruitment is relevant to the current realities of Indigenous Peoples and the organization’s needs.

Employee networks

Employee networks have been established at CSC to provide support to equity-seeking employees. While they are employee-led forums, by and for all employees of CSC who identify as members of equity-seeking groups, they are provided with administrative, project and financial support from the ARDEI Directorate within CSC.

In March 2024, the ARDEI directorate shared standard Terms of Reference for all employee networks. The following month, the directorate invited all equity-seeking employees to become members of existing employee networks or create their own.

Since 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, all employee networks have also been able to access funding to support events, activities and initiatives in support of ARDEI.

Persons with Disabilities Network (PwDN)

The PwDN continues to be supported in its various activities by the Employment Equity and Diversity Committees (EEDC). The PwDN is actively promoting events that focus on inclusivity and identifies barriers to foster a supportive and accessible work environment. The PwDN strives to empower employees with disabilities, promote diversity and inclusion and create a more equitable workplace for all.

Connecting Spirits, Creating Opportunities (CSCO)

The CSCO is an employee network that was launched in 2019 as CSC’s succession and leadership development initiative for Indigenous employees working within the Continuum of Care, developed in response to the Many Voices One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation Strategy in consultation with CSC’s Indigenous employees.

CSCO creates an environment where Indigenous employees can freely contribute to and engage in a community where they network and support one another through culturally based group career focused activities. It supports Indigenous employees to help advance their careers and retain their skills and perspectives in CSC. Doing so, helps to ensure that Indigenous Peoples serving a federal sentence have access to culturally competent Indigenous staff, interventions, programs and culturally grounded support.

Black Employee Network (BEN)

The BEN continues to offer support to Black employees and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within CSC. In 2023, the BEN announced the interim appointment of its first chairperson while they prepare their executive committee elections. The call for nominations to the executive committee was launched on October 23, 2024, and results of the elections were announced in December.

Another notable achievement was the successful implementation of a 6-week Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion program focusing on anti-Black racism and allyship. This program, open to all CSC employees, was led by professionals and subject matter experts, which were delivered in both official languages. The program was met with enthusiasm and positive feedback from attendees, enhancing awareness and understanding of diversity issues within the organization.

In collaboration with CSC’s Learning and Development Branch (L and D), the network secured financial support from EEDC for a second language training program offered to all Indigenous, Black and other racialized employees, as well as employees with disabilities, to support their language training and promote linguistic diversity and inclusivity within CSC. To further support BEN members in their language learning journey, a Second Language Café was created. This café provided a supportive and interactive environment for members to practice and enhance their oral language skills in an informal environment.

Preliminary discussions have already taken place between the HRM Sector and the Network regarding the establishment of a Black Employee Champion and a working group. This initiative aims to strategize specific actions that address the unique needs of Black employees within the organization.

Employment Equity and Diversity Committees (EEDC)

Managed by the ARDEI Directorate, the EEDC provides leadership and advocacy to foster and sustain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace through engagement, education, information sharing and personal accountability at all levels of the organization.

In 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, the regional EEDCs held 34 national activities and 16 regional activities. EEDCs’ initiatives focused on:

• persons with disabilities and on
• anti-racism
• mental health
• 2SLGBTQIA+ (including gender diversity)
• Indigenous Peoples
• Black people
• women and
• human rights

The initiatives, aimed at enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the organization, have shown significant improvement in employee participation and engagement in related activities. The quality of events has increased as EEDCs created more partnerships, collaborated with the networks, contracted EDI topic experts. The employees have felt more empowered and encouraged to join discussions, workshops, and community events focused on EDI.

In 2023 to 2024, the national EEDC revised its Terms of Reference to create a more collaborative environment and to ensure a structured and cohesive approach across the organization. The national EEDC also took over management of the employee networks and created a common set of Terms of Reference for employees to launch their own networks, with the support of the ARDEI directorate. All employees, networks, and regional EEDC’s are now invited annually to submit requests for funding from the national EEDC funding envelope, which ensures equitable access across CSC.

Audit and Evaluation

CSC's Internal Audit and Evaluation Sector undertook its first ever audit of organizational culture. This audit allowed CSC to have a better understanding of the current culture within the organization, as well as the root causes where the organizational culture is not in line with the desired culture.

This audit took place at the request of the Commissioner following CSC’s 2019 to 2020 Risk-Based Audit Plan and is now in the reporting phase. Public Opinion Research associated with the audit was completed in October 2023. In February of 2024, the report was presented to the Departmental Audit Committee and, in the spring 2024, it was published along with the public opinion research report. In May 2024, CSC announced the creation of CSC’s Culture Branch, which will lead on CSC's response to the culture audit recommendations over the coming years.

In 2024, the Black Offender Strategy was added to the 2024 to 2029 Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan. The first part of the evaluation will examine key activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts related to the Black Offender Strategy. The second part will examine the implementation of related initiatives, and the third part will explore the effectiveness of the Black Offender Strategy in achieving expected results. The first part of this evaluation includes a review of relevant documents and administrative data as well as interviews with stakeholders. This information will be used to develop Terms of Reference that will articulate the objectives, scope, and timelines for the first part of the evaluation.

CSC is also supporting the Canadian Human Rights Commission in undertaking an Employment Equity Audit to assess CSC’s compliance with the Employment Equity Act. The purpose of the Act is to achieve equality in the workplace so that no person shall be denied employment opportunities or benefits for reasons unrelated to ability. The Act seeks to ensure that all Canadians have the same access to the labour market. It requires federally regulated employers to take actions to ensure the full representation members of employment equity groups.

Communications

CSC is dedicated to advancing ARDEI efforts as part of its broader culture change objectives. However, there has been a lack of awareness of these efforts among CSC employees, offenders, stakeholders, and Canadians in general. To mitigate this, a more proactive and sustaining communications strategy is required that is coordinated and integrated across all communications channels.

To do this, CSC will continue to consult with the employee networks, Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC), National and Regional Ethnocultural Advisory Committees (NEAC/REAC), and relevant sectors to create meaningful engagement with employees and external stakeholders, communities, and other government departments.

Over the past year, comprehensive communications plans were developed and implemented to support the advancement of ARDEI at CSC, as well as Indigenous corrections. Some examples of these communications implemented include (but are not limited to):

• Strengthening communications to employees by launching a new page on CSC’s intranet site. This page highlights key commemorative dates, promotes awareness, the importance of self-identifying and how employees can join a diversity network. It also provides easier access to other important information that either employees or managers may need. This new intranet was also developed on Indigenous corrections for employees have the most up to date information available to them
• Proactive and sustained communications to the public and stakeholders through a new public-facing website about ARDEI, as well as a new website about Indigenous corrections to promote awareness through people-centered storytelling, the work CSC is doing with stakeholders, its programming and Elders to advance real, progressive change for Indigenous Peoples in the federal correctional system

In addition, CSC amplified Black, Indigenous and women employees by leveraging platforms such as its podcast series “Prisons Inside Out” with an episode being dedicated to women leaders in corrections and 1 on Indigenous Corrections. Black and Indigenous employees and stakeholders are being amplified in CSC’s “Lift Me Up” series, a digital communications campaign focused on people who are advancing real, progressive change at CSC.

Communications is also a priority for the Commissioner. Commissioner Anne Kelly has released a video in April 2024 addressed to potential Indigenous, Black, and Racialized candidates to encourage them in consider a career at CSC. As well, the Commissioner produced a video addressed to all employees about eliminating racism and discrimination at CSC. The Commissioner is sending quarterly messages to all staff that outline the progress made in advancing ARDEI at CSC and areas where more work is required.

There is also a new ARDEI corner on CSC’s intranet that will include data on representation trends within CSC for hiring managers and supervisors. The goal is for management to consider CSC’s representation of the Canadian population. Moreover, the Commissioner’s weekly message to all staff now includes a Face of CSC section that features employees and their stories, specifically in underrepresented groups such as Black and Indigenous employees. This important corner amplifies their voices and promotes awareness of the important work they are doing to advance real change at CSC.

The Commissioner’s weekly message to inmates has also been updated. A new Community Corner was launched to promote awareness to inmates of the culturally appropriate programming and services available to them to assist with their successful rehabilitation and reintegration back into their communities.

Proactive and sustained communications continued to recognize, commemorate, and build internal awareness of key dates and issues related to different dimensions of diversity.

Regions continued to contribute to communication efforts by promoting and coordinating the success stories of staff and offenders mentioned above, as well as ensuring sustained information, communications and activities, such as trivia, to foster learning and awareness, opportunities to eat cultural foods from various ethnicities in a team setting, and drumming sessions.

Finally, CSC has taken significant steps to enhance accessibility and inclusion through the implementation of an Accessibility Feedback mechanism. CSC published an Accessibility Hub page that contains resources, guidance documents, and launched an official accessibility feedback process in 2023. This feedback process allows individuals, including CSC employees, offenders through their offender committees, and members of the public, to submit feedback anonymously on the implementation of CSC’s Accessibility Plan or Progress Reports. The focus is on how CSC should receive and preserve all feedback relating to accessibility.

Engagement

In November and December 2023, the EEDI team within the HRM Sector, with the assistance of the ARDEI Directorate consulted with Indigenous, Black, Other Racialized, 2SLGBTQIA+, women and persons with disabilities employees to provide an overview of CSC’s results from the Public Service Employee Survey as well as CSC’s response to the Clerk’s Call to Action and Forward Direction.

To address 1 action from the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Forward Direction to Deputy Ministers, CSC issued a memorandum to all regions and sectors to avoid holding major meetings and events during significant religious and cultural periods. CSC identified key cultural and religious dates in addition to what was already observed through statutory holidays. Comments and suggestions were also welcomed to ensure that all employees felt included and considered.

Summary of progress

1. Employees

1.1 Implement a National Employment Equity and Diversity Committee Strategic Plan (Ongoing)

CSC boasts a robust and dynamic EEDC present at local, regional, and national tiers. These committees are dedicated to fostering a work environment that is barrier-free, accessible, and inclusive by leveraging funding to promote local and national initiatives, including employee training, awareness campaigns, and cultural celebrations. Their mission is to offer guidance on the creation of diversity and inclusion training materials that accurately represent the realities of CSC and the experiences of both employees and offenders. This committee welcomes participation from representatives across different levels (employees, supervisors, and managers) and various sectors of the organization.

In 2023 to 2024, the National EEDC hosted 25 national and 93 regional events with a focus on:

• National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
• Mental Health
• Black History Month
• Asian Heritage Month and
• Anti-Racism

Similar to last year, some of the events were opened to our members from the Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) and were attended by 6,774 employees and stakeholders compared to 4,137 attendees in the previous years (2021 to 2023).

The focus for the committees is to measure the impact of its actions and activities. Our team is studying the possibility of making certain changes within the committee that will aim to establish concrete and targeted regional actions and outcomes.

1.2 Target efforts to recruit and retain members of visible minorities and ethnically diverse employees (Ongoing)

Within the Front-line Planning and Recruitment division at CSC, outreach efforts are deployed across the country to promote employment opportunities offered within CSC targeting various employment equity (EE) groups. New recruitment material (for example, images, banners) has been created to demonstrate greater diversity. CSC employees attending recruitment events are representative of the EE groups.

In 2023 to 2024, a total of 70 e-mail invitations were sent to racialized community groups across Canada, providing the information on our current job openings and encouraging them to apply. Following these activities, CSC has increased its workforce representation for the EE racialized groups. Staffing Operations promote and utilize the Public Service Commission programs including the Indigenous Student Employment, Employment Opportunities for Students with Disabilities, and the IT Apprenticeship Program for Indigenous Peoples. HR advisors provide advice and guidance on enhancing representation in the workforce, addressing gaps.

Indigenous Recruitment

The HRM working group for the Executive Sub-Committee on Indigenous Corrections, called the "Tiger Team on Indigenous Employee Recruitment and Retention", was established to develop an action plan to increase representation of Indigenous People and to implement recruitment and retention strategies to support a greater Indigenous workforce presence at all levels of the organization. The Tiger Team’s Action Plan for Indigenous Recruitment and Retention (2021 to 2022 and beyond) is an evergreen document that outlines priorities and commitments to further CSC's goals for Indigenous People representation. It will continue to evolve as progress is made.

A separate indigenous action plan has been developed in parallel with the task force's action plan. As part of the human resources planning cycle, the Human Resource Management Sector continues to communicate to regions and sectors, as part of the HR planning cycle, that all units are required to add 1 new action in support of resourcing, retaining, or developing Indigenous employees under the Indigenous Action Plan.

To recruit Indigenous individuals, CSC implemented specialized recruitment inventories at both the national and regional level that enable Indigenous People to submit general applications, which are then reviewed for consideration in appropriate job openings. For non-Front-line recruitment, the Atlantic Region launched 2 inventories to assist managers in finding qualified candidates who will help increase representation of Indigenous employees and Visible Minority employees, in 2024. CSC intends to re-launch the process. As well, discussions are underway with educational institutions to support recruitment, as well as ways CSC can improve the use of social media for recruiting.

Parole Officer inventory pulls have been completed by Front-line, Planning and Recruitment (FLPR) for Employment Equity, Indigenous and persons with disabilities in the Pacific, Prairies and Ontario.

To support Indigenous recruitment for Healing Lodges in the Prairie region, FLPR launched a process for Maintenance Tradesperson (GL-MAN-07) positions and developed tools, including a QR code and paper application forms, to use at engagement events with Indigenous stakeholders, encouraging and easing the application process of Indigenous peoples to frontline positions. The organizational needs statement on the job posting has also been revised to communicate CSC’s commitment in increasing the recruitment of Indigenous peoples, increasing their awareness. Additionally, optional self-declaration questions were included in the application process for non-employment equity targeted processes, to encourage self-declaration and promote diversity and inclusion in the workforce.

CSC maintains an on-going inventory for Indigenous Peoples for, Correctional Officer positions (CX-01) as well as an inventory for, Correctional Officer II (CX-02) positions at Healing Lodges, both with a limited area of selection to target Indigenous Persons. These inventories are renewed approximately every month. 

Additionally, in spring 2023, the Information Management Services Branch began recruiting Indigenous employees through the Information Technology Apprenticeship Program for Indigenous Peoples, which is a Government of Canada initiative specifically for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples that creates a pathway to employment in the federal public service for Indigenous Peoples. The apprentices hired through this program begin their employment within the public service and undergo a combination of on-the-job training and mentoring for a 24‑month period within their department.

1.3 Increase the cultural responsiveness of staff through training, toolkits, activities and events on cultural issues. (Ongoing)

CSC has numerous training programs to increase cultural responsiveness, including:

• Diversity and Cultural Competency Training (DCCT)
• Unconscious Bias
• Uniting Against Racism
• Manager’s Toolkit for Action
• Foundations for Indigenous Corrections

The DCCT training was updated in December 2023 to address recommendation 13 put forward by the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) 2021 to 2022 which states that CSC should: “(…) expand its staff diversity training to include representation from Black community groups and external experts who can provide a more complete and relevant perspective. This training should be mandatory, in-person and oriented to practical and lived experiences of Black people.” CSC reviewed some of the activities included in the training curriculum to allow participants to reflect on the impacts of power, privilege, and identities in relation to the practical and lived experiences of Black people in Canada. As of November 2024, DCCT has been delivered to 91% of all CSC employees.

The Working Environment Free of Bias and Racism training program aims also to increase the cultural responsiveness of CSC employees. This mandatory training program for all existing and new employees was implemented in 2022 and includes the following components:

• Unconscious Bias
• Uniting Against Racism; and
• the Manager’s Toolkit for Action

Each region offers a training calendar that contributes to tracking compliance. Note that the Manager’s Toolkit for Action training was implemented in March 2024 and all existing managers are to be trained by December 31, 2025.

The Foundations for Indigenous Corrections (FIC) training provides a foundational overview of the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada and impact of European contact. This training helps participants recognize Indigenous Social History (ISH) and the ISH implementation considerations when working with Indigenous offenders, the systemic discrimination they have experienced and the factors that explain the overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in CSC custody. To date, more than 5,000 Service employees have received the training.

The OCI’s Annual Report 2021 to 2022 also recommended that CSC develop a training program for front-line health professionals, considering the most recent research on racial bias and its impact on medical decisions and procedures. In response, CSC committed to provide healthcare professionals with ongoing professional development opportunities that deliver the most current information available regarding Indigenous, Black, and other ethnocultural and racialized groups via a monthly webinar series with external and internal experts. To date, 16 sessions have been offered between January 2023 and May 2024. These included bilingual Indigenous-focused sessions, such as:

• Through the Eyes of an Indigenous Social Worker
• Inuit Health, Healing, and Culture
• Understanding the Importance of Traditional Healing and Holistic Health and Recognizing One’s Own Biases; and
• How to Work with Traditional Medicine in an Institution – Lessons Learned from the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge Project

CSC is committed to improving its best practice of creating annual mandatory work objectives for all supervisors and managers in the area of diversity and inclusion. As part of the employee Performance Management Program, these new indicators will be specific to anti-racism and will be developed in consultation with employee diversity networks.

1.4 Standardized work objectives committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace (Ongoing)

CSC’s standardized Work Objectives for 2024 to 2025 for all Supervisors/Managers included a focused objective on ARDEI, as follows:

• Lead and engage staff in accordance with CSC’s Values and Standards of professional conduct. Commit to championing a diverse and inclusive CSC workplace culture
• Ensure the continued integration of the guiding principles of the National Comprehensive Strategy on Workplace and Employee Wellbeing
• Facilitate a collaborative performance management program that fosters an agile, inclusive and well-equipped workplace as outlined in Beyond 2020

Similarly, all employees have a similar work objective to:

• Demonstrate knowledge of, and model CSC Values and Standards of professional conduct, while engaging in a diverse and inclusive work culture

In 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, CSC included the Government of Canada’s Commitments for all executives to advance reconciliation, anti-racism, equity, inclusion and accessibility in the Public Service, specifically to:

• Foster a culture of belonging in the organization for all public servants, regardless of:
• race
• ethnicity
• sex
• religion
• disability
• sexual orientation, or
• gender identity or expression
• Combat hate towards the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and make meaningful and significant progress on shared Public Service-wide directions, including the forward direction of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service; Many Voices One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation; and the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service

CSC has sought, as demonstrated in this report, to create an enabling environment for consequential accountability by targeting, developing, and improving programs and initiatives that support employees and executives in demonstrating and fostering effective behaviours within the organization (for example, providing training, establishing mentorship/coaching programs, engaging speakers with lived experience of being racialized or marginalized). In addition, CSC has continued to engage within the organization when establishing performance measures for employees and executives to gauge their appropriateness and feasibility to implement and measure.

In 2024 to 2025, CSC leveraged Learning and Development Plans for executives to meet anti-racism, equity, and inclusion commitments is tailored with concrete actions by including the following indicator:

• Commit to personal learning and development through the completion of at least 2 learning activities this year (for example, participation in a commemorative day event, attending training, etc.).

1.5 Evaluate the workplace environment through the Annual Report on Workplace Climate and Employee Well-Being (2023)

In 2020, CSC formalized its commitment to supporting the mental health of employees throughout the organization with the creation of the first National Comprehensive Strategy on Workplace Wellness and Employee Well-Being. The work advanced by this strategy sought to establish a culture where psychological health, safety, and wellness were fundamental aspects of the workplace through increased collaboration, inclusion, accountability, diversity, and respect.

In 2023, CSC published the most recent edition of the Report on Workplace Climate and Employee Well-Being. As in previous versions, the Climate Report informs the organization on areas for improvement and on the programs and areas that should be prioritized moving forward. It continues to serve as a valuable tool to analyze risk, identify opportunities for change, and provide recommendations in support of CSC’s continued commitment to employee’s mental health and well-being. It also creates important linkages between equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, including CSC’s Anti-Racism Framework. This report specifically acknowledges the diversity of the organizational workforce as both a point of strength and an opportunity for growth. The Climate Report will serve as a strong foundation for the upcoming renewal of the 2020 to 2024 National Comprehensive Strategy on Workplace Wellness and Employee Well-Being by supporting the development of a detailed action plan with clear accountabilities and robust performance monitoring.

The diversity of the organization is one of CSC’s greatest assets, but it also presents an important opportunity for growth. The new iteration of CSC’s National Comprehensive Strategy for Workplace Wellness and Employee Well-Being for 2025 to 2028 will advance initiatives that are inclusive and informed by the lived experiences of employees, in a way that respects the individual wellness needs of all CSC employees.

This strategy will allow employees at all levels of the organization to see the opportunity to affect meaningful change in the Public Service, CSC as an organization and, for themselves. The 2025 to 2028 Strategy is intended to be a roadmap to affecting change and positive outcomes, through concrete actions that will contribute to a healthy, safe and respectful work environment.

New Initiatives

CSC continues to undertake new initiatives aimed at advancing ARDEI for employees.

Indigenous Career Navigator Program (ICNP)

CSC launched the ICNP, a strategic initiative designed to provide guidance, advice, and support within a culturally safe environment for Indigenous employees and hiring managers. This program is facilitated by Indigenous Career Navigators (ICN) and was developed by the Knowledge Circle for Indigenous Inclusion. It responds to the Call to Action on Anti-racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service, as well as the "Many Voices, One Mind: A Pathway to Reconciliation Action Plan."

The ICNP is structured around 2 primary, interrelated objectives. Firstly, it aims to support Indigenous employees across CSC by offering advice and guidance on recruitment, retention, and career advancement. Secondly, it assists CSC hiring managers by providing insights on how to support Indigenous employees in their career development and helps in identifying suitable Indigenous candidates for various roles.

In October 2023, the HRM Sector appointed 2 ICNs to pilot the program. Following this preparatory phase, the program was officially launched in January 2024, marking a significant step forward in CSC's commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace for Indigenous employees.

Comprehensive Health Human Resources Strategy focused on EE recruitment and retention

Amid a Canada-wide healthcare professional shortage, CSC is developing a national, comprehensive Health Human Resources strategy that will focus on recruitment, orientation, and retention of health care professionals. The aim of this work is to ensure CSC has a strong, competent and representative workforce to respond to the evolving health needs of offenders. This work will include considerations for EE groups and Canadian workforce availabilities.

In 2024 to 2025, Health Services (HS) secured a dedicated resource to lead the Health Human Resources Strategy work to address our recruitment and retention challenges and needs. As part of the HHR Strategy, HS will ensure a workforce representation that aligns with the offender population, with particular attention to ensuring that Indigenous and Black offenders are able to work with staff who look like them and understand their lived experiences.

2. Offenders

2.1 Research on offenders (Ongoing)

CSC continues to provide studies that provide information on correctional outcomes for Indigenous, Black and other racialized offenders. They are outlined below:

Diversity trends

• Criminal Risk Index Validation for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Men: The Criminal Risk Index (CRI) yielded excellent predictive validity in relation to federal custody returns for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous men.
• Indigenous and non-Indigenous Women Offenders' Substance Use over Time: 2010 to 2021: A greater proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women had identified substance use issues over time, as well as increased central nervous system (CNS) stimulant use and injection drug use.
• Indigenous Offenders Affiliated with Security Threat Groups (STGs): Indigenous offenders are overrepresented among STG-affiliated offenders and have common factors associated with STG affiliation.
• Men Offenders’ Trajectories to Security Threat Group (STG) Affiliation: Marginalization factors were most likely to be recorded for STG-affiliated men, followed by childhood adversity and social network information.
• Indigenous Offenders Affiliated with Security Threat Groups (STGs): Indigenous offenders are overrepresented among STG-affiliated offenders and have common factors associated with STG affiliation.
• Women Offenders' Substance Use over Time: 2010 to 2021: Over the time period examined reports of lifetime drug use, the use of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants in the 12 months prior to arrest, injection drug use, and poly-substance use increased among women offenders.
• Substance Use Patterns of Women Offenders across Ethnocultural Groups: Indigenous and White women were more likely to have substance use issues and a higher proportion indicated a link between their substance use and offending.
• Indigenous Men Affiliated with Security Threat Groups (STGs) Compared to the General Indigenous Men Offender Population: Security Treat Group (STG) affiliated Indigenous men were younger with higher static risk and dynamic needs than the general Indigenous men’s population.

Admission profiles

• Understanding the Profile Characteristics and Correctional Experiences of Indigenous Federal Offenders: A Review of Research Results: Research indicates Indigenous offenders have key differences from non-Indigenous offenders with respect to profile characteristics, institutional experiences and release outcomes.
• Regional Profiles of Canadian In-Custody Women Federal Offenders: Although the profiles of women in custody vary across regions, patterns suggest that women in all regions during fiscal year 2021 to 2022 had more complex risk and need profiles than those observed in previous cohorts.

In-Custody experiences

• Use of force and race: profile and institutional experience: Some differences in use of force characteristics by ethnocultural group were identified. However, across ethnocultural groups, offenders in the use of force groups were found to have higher static risk and dynamic need.
• A Qualitative Study of Experiences at Women’s Healing Lodges: Women’s Healing Lodges offer culturally relevant support through a trauma-informed and gender-based lens.
• Experiences at Men's CSC-operated Healing Lodges: A Qualitative Examination: Men's CSC-operated Healing Lodges offer an environment that help guide residents through their healing journeys.
• Impacts of Indigenous Intervention Centres (IIC) on Men's Institutional Behaviour: IIC involvement has positive impacts on the institutional behaviour of participating Indigenous men offenders.
• Impacts of Indigenous Intervention Centres on Women's Institutional Behaviour: Preliminary data suggests that IIC involvement has positive impacts on the institutional behaviour of Indigenous women.

Release outcomes

• Revocations Among Female Ethnocultural Offenders: After accounting for risk-relevant differences, Indigenous women were more likely to return to custody during their first release compared to White women, whereas Black women were less likely.
• Revocations Among Male Ethnocultural Offenders: After accounting for risk-relevant differences, Indigenous men were more likely to return to custody during their first release compared to White men, whereas Black and Other ethnocultural men were less likely.
• Barriers to Timely Release among Indigenous Federal Offenders: Conditional release is an integral component of structured reintegration, allowing federal offenders to serve a portion of their sentence in the community under supervision.
• Men's Indigenous Intervention Centres: Release Outcomes: Indigenous Intervention Centre (IIC) participation is related to positive release decisions, use of culturally specific release options, and success in the community.
• Examination of the Drivers of Success for Section 84 Releases to Indigenous Communities: Cultural components, community connections, and offender-driven approaches are the main drivers for successful Section 84 releases.

2.1.1 Custody Rating Scale validation for Black and Indigenous offenders

The Custody Rating Scale (CRS) is an instrument employed by CSC to assist in determining an offender’s initial security classification. The CRS is comprised of 2 subscales, namely Institutional Adjustment and Security Risk, with scores in turn informing a security designation of minimum, medium, or maximum. As per Commissioner’s Directive 705-7: Security Classification and Penitentiary Placement, the CRS is used in conjunction with structured professional assessment of an offender’s institutional adjustment, escape risk, and public safety risk to determine an appropriate Offender Security Level.

In 2023, CSC published on a validation of the predictive validity of the CRS for men offenders admitted to federal custody between 2013 to 2014 and 2018 to 2019.

As well, CSC revalidated the CRS for predictive validity for Black men, Indigenous men and Indigenous women:

• Validation of the Custody Rating Scale for Black Men Offenders: CRS holds predictive validity for Black men offenders at intake.
• Revalidation of the Custody Rating Scale for Indigenous Men Offenders: CRS continues to hold predictive validity for Indigenous men offenders at intake.
• Revalidation of the Custody Rating Scale for Indigenous Women Offenders: CRS continues to hold predictive validity for Indigenous women offenders at intake.

In order to complete this work, CSC engaged with external experts with expertise in criminal / social justice matters on the development of the research questions and methodology.

2.1.2 Culturally informed risk assessment

The Research Branch completed a four-year project with the University of Regina under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that explored the possibilities of developing a culturally informed risk assessment instrument or process. Based on this report, CSC has gained insight as well as received feedback from internal stakeholders as well as the CRS experts.

Additional work is now being carried out to explore professional judgement in the security classification process, including cases in which professional judgement does not align with results of the actuarial tool. A key aspect of this research is to understand the factors that are resulting in security increase or security decrease decisions for different offender groups, including Indigenous and Black offenders.

2.1.3 Examining Time to Security Reclassification for Black Offenders

A research report entitled “Examining Time to Security Reclassification for Black Offenders” was released. Results demonstrated that in terms of timing of reclassification decisions, on average, Black men had their first security reclassification decision made about a month after those made for White men (515 days versus 486 days, respectively). Further analyses were conducted to control for the potential impact of other factors on security level reduction (for example, static and dynamic risk, institutional behaviour). Results showed that White men had a greater probability of a security reduction at a faster rate, which became observable at about 7 months post-initial security classification. Despite differences in the timing of reclassification decisions between Black men and White men, these decisions still met the timelines set out in CSC policy (such as, at least once every 2 years for offenders classified as medium or maximum security).

2.2 Training sessions regarding the assessment, classification, management and rehabilitation of Adjudicated Persons of African Descent (Ongoing)

An Ethnocultural Structured Regional Learning Day was delivered as part of the Parole Officer Continuous development (POCD) in 2023 to 2024 fiscal year. This day aimed to ensure that POs and their managers are aware of the resources and stakeholders available to assist them in assessing the needs of ethnocultural offenders and in the use of ethnocultural services and/or interventions. CSC’s L and D Branch provided an Ethnocultural Activity Guide that included some suggested topics for participants and template to collate compliance rates.

To expand awareness and skills for Correctional Program Officers (CPOs) to work effectively with Black offenders, the Reintegration Programs Division launched a professional development workshop for CPOs in March 2024. The workshop includes culturally relevant examples for use in correctional program delivery and will assist CPOs in meeting the responsivity needs of Black offenders and enable them to further develop their working alliance and cultural competencies for working with Black offenders.

2.3 Enhance organizational capacity to respond to the needs of ethnocultural offenders through the Ethnocultural Action Framework (Ongoing)

CSC launched the Ethnocultural Action Framework (EAF) in May 2021 to enhance organizational capacity to respond with agility and inclusivity to the needs of ethnocultural offenders, as well as foster cohesion, consistency and collaboration at all levels of the organization that identifies targeted projects and initiatives.

To date CSC has identified across the country 60 Ethnocultural Site Coordinators (ESC’s) and they have all been provided with copies of the ESC Guide and workbook along with training on various topics such as the Joint Learning Program’s Anti-Racism Training in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year.

Offender Ethnocultural Representatives (ERs) have been implemented at all institutions with an operational need for such a position. ERs work cooperatively with ESCs to enhance offender engagement in ethnocultural initiatives. Specifically, ERs convey the ethnocultural interests of the institutional population and collaborate with ESCs and Social Program Officers (SPOs) to ensure that activities, services and interventions meet the needs of ethnocultural offenders.

An Ethnocultural Anti-Racism Calendar has also been produced annually since 2021. This calendar allows offenders to share their voice and opinions about racism and their experiences. CSC published the following story about the calendar: Ethnocultural calendar inspires art and change - Canada.ca

2.4 Expand the Ontario Region Pilot of the Black Offender Social History (Ongoing)

CSC has been engaged in the Black Social History (BSH) pilot project in the Central Ontario District since 2016. It is a set of historical and ongoing factors to consider in all decisions for offenders of African descent. It is meant to provide a more structured way to equip employees to be responsive to the unique challenges faced by Black offenders.

In 2024, the Ontario Region developed a one-day mandatory session for regional POCD training focused on the Black Social History for all institutional and community POs, Managers of Assessment and Interventions (MAI) and Parole Officer Supervisors (POS). The first part of the presentation was provided by Dr. Owusu-Bempah, a professor at the University of Toronto. The second part of the training was dedicated to applying the BSH within case management reports and providing practical examples, encouraging engagement and active participation from staff in the region.

During 2023 to 2024, staff and offender questionnaires regarding the BSH were developed by the region, in consultation with National Headquarters (NHQ) Research Branch. These questionnaires were distributed for completion, in an electronic format for staff and in print copy for offenders (to be mailed in) in the spring of 2024, and the responses were collected and are being analyzed by the NHQ Research Branch. CSC’s Research Branch will be reporting on the findings in the coming months. It is expected that this will help point to gaps and successes and may inform other next steps for implementation of the BSH in other regions.

A next step in the Ontario Region is to develop the BSH for use with the Black female offender population. While Grand Valley Institution and the Women’s Supervision Unit implemented the BSH when it was rolled out in Ontario, it has always been recognized that the BSH was developed for use with male offenders. As such, it does not necessarily reflect the unique circumstances of Black women offenders and the intersectionality of race and gender. As a first step, representatives from the BSH Committee and regional headquarters (RHQ) met with POs at Grand Valley Institution and the entire Black women offender population in May 2024 to hear their suggestions and feedback regarding the existing BSH document and to understand some of their unique challenges and circumstances. The feedback has been shared and discussed with sectors at NHQ. Appropriate academic consultation will also be sought in the development of the BSH for women.

2.5 Roll out a questionnaire for Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) to consult with ethnocultural offenders (Completed)

A questionnaire was first developed to guide CACs in having discussions about the impact of systemic racism on Indigenous, Black and other racialized ethnocultural offenders. Upon consultation with regions and CAC members, it was determined that a bulletin format to share information was more suitable to help advisory members meet and consult with interested ethnocultural offenders and support their needs. The CAC Bulletin on Ethnocultural Offenders was developed and circulated for feedback from regional staff and CAC members in the summer of 2024. It will assist in enhancing the understanding of the complex and diverse work of CSC in identifying and meeting the needs of ethnocultural offenders. The Bulletin was shared with the National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee (NEAC) members in the fall of 2024 for their feedback before being officially finalized and circulated in January 2025.

2.6 Establishment of the Regional Ethnocultural Reintegration Committee (Ongoing)

The Regional Ethnocultural Reintegration Committee (RERC) was established in 2021 in the Atlantic Region to review internal strategies, with the aim of improving the correctional outcomes for Black and other ethnocultural offenders. It advances policy, actionable interventions and areas of focus, which includes establishing metrics that reflect reintegration and work plans for Black ethnocultural offenders from intake to warrant expiry. The committee meets regularly to discuss ways to enhance case management practices and provide effective interventions that support the reintegration of Black and other ethnocultural offenders at the earliest risk-assumable point in their sentence.

NHQ is working with the Atlantic Region to develop standard Terms of Reference for the committee that can be shared with other regions for scaling up this promising practice.

New Initiatives

Since the implementation of the Anti-Racism Framework in 2020, several new initiatives have been implemented, which are included below.

Ethnocultural Correctional Intervention Board

The Ethnocultural Correctional Intervention Board (ECIB) was also created in the Atlantic Region and was developed to ensure that the cases of Black and other ethnocultural offenders are regularly reviewed by decision-makers and members of the Case Management Team (CMT) at the site level to increase engagement, encourage positive institutional adjustment and create better overall correctional outcomes.

By consulting with appropriate staff members, prioritizing cultural and risk-related considerations, and tailoring interventions accordingly, the ECIB aims to improve the correctional experiences for Black and other ethnocultural offenders and address systemic racism and implicit bias in assessment and decision-making.

Each case is reviewed and an individual action plan is developed with appropriate referrals, identified actions and follow-ups. The Board is focused on the reintegration process, which consists of cascading offenders to lower institutional security levels, promoting temporary absences and other forms of conditional release, and the management of complex cases. This requires the consideration of community-based resources and services in case management and release planning.

Where numbers of Black and other ethnocultural offenders are small, for instance with offenders in women’s institutions, the ECIB is incorporated into bi-weekly, site-level Correctional Intervention Boards (CIBs) to ensure that Black and ethnocultural cases are discussed on a regular basis and their gender-specific and cultural needs are being addressed throughout their sentence.

ECIBs continue to operate in all institutions within the Atlantic region, including Nova Institution for Women.

Ontario Region has also implemented ECIB pilots at some of the medium sites, including Grand Valley Institution and Beaver Creek Institution, which have been going for several months. Beaver Creek Institution, in particular, is running Indigenous, Inuit, and ethnocultural CIBs once a month to prioritize these cases. Collins Bay Institution is anticipated as the next site to implement the ECIB.

In the Ontario Region Beaver Creek Institution (BCI) and Grand Valley Institution (GVI) continue to lead the way in terms of the ECIB pilot.

• To improve efficiency, BCI has incorporated ECIB as a component of their regular CIB process. Ethnocultural offenders who arrive at BCI are flagged by their POs during their initial interview (completed within 10 days of arrival). Each case is discussed at the review board in relation to program needs, unique ethnocultural considerations, and necessary steps toward reintegration.
• At Grand Valley Institution the ECIB is a separate board chaired by an MAI and attended by institutional POs and the ESC. It is a forum for discussion and updates regarding ethnocultural cases and is a mechanism to ensure timely follow-up on case management activities (for example, security reviews, consideration of Temporary Absences). The ECIB is a tool to hold MAIs and POs more accountable and ensures cases are progressing, obstacles are identified, and plans are developed to overcome them.

Collins Bay Institution is anticipated as the next site to implement the ECIBs. It is a multi-level institution (minimum, medium and maximum) with the highest population of Black offenders in the Ontario region and a substantial number of Indigenous offenders, among other ethnicities.

NHQ is working with the regions to develop standard Terms of Reference for the committee that can be shared with other regions for scaling up this promising practice.

Gender considerations

CSC has initiated internal research and engaged external experts to further increase our knowledge of the profile of our current gender diverse offender population as well as to examine health and safety barriers and options to address their gender-related needs while under CSC’s care and custody.

Notably, CSC has demonstrated commitment and international leadership in meeting the needs of gender diverse persons and pursuing decision-practices that are fair and impartial. In addition to our valuable partnerships with respect to policy consultations and research, CSC continues to create space for dialogue, inclusivity, and learning.

CSC has led the development of both a national and international Community of Practice relative to Gender Diverse Offenders, as well as an in-house, nationwide Gender Diverse Offender Advisory Group. These groups provide a platform to share and discuss policy development, research and best practices relating to gender diverse offenders in an effort to proactively and positively address the changing landscape for this offender population.

Dedicated positions for Black Offenders

The Atlantic region has funded the African Canadian Liaison Officer pilot position in the institution, in addition to the pilot position in the community of the African Canadian Reintegration Officer, which has been funded by National Headquarters since 2021 to 2022. Their role is to engage and discuss correctional planning or culturally specific community strategies for potential release for ethnocultural offenders. In consultation and collaboration with the CMT, they develop and foster partnerships with community agencies and service providers that focus on African Canadians and ethnocultural offenders. 2023 to 2024 was the first year for an institution-focused African Canadian Reintegration Officer, and the results have improved on all avenues, including the number of temporary absences (ETAs), unescorted temporary absences (UTAs), and releases for long-term offenders. There has been increased motivation of offenders to consider early conditional releases.

The Ontario Region has piloted the Ethnocultural Reintegration Officer (ERO) position since 2022 to 2023 in the community and a second position within the region is currently being piloted in 2024 to 2025. While the first ERO continues to evolve, its primarily community focused and is physically located within the Central District of Toronto, the second position supports the institutions.

The Prairie Region has piloted the Black Offender Liaison Officer position since 2022 to 2023, who continues to play an important role in offender reintegration. The officer contributed to the development of Black Offender Support Groups, community consultations, and a Black Offender Suspension Review Board. The region plans to review and continue this position.

CSC’s Black Offender Strategy

In 2022, CSC committed to develop a Black Offender Strategy to respond to the needs of Black offenders. The Strategy will also assist CSC in responding to the OCI Recommendation 15 in the 2021 to 2022 Annual Report and the Office of Auditor General (OAG)’s Report on Systemic Barriers (2022). The Strategy will be reported under CSC’s ARDEI Framework and will contribute to whole-of-government efforts to combat systemic racism for Black communities, including Canada’s Black Justice Strategy and the United Nations Decade of Peoples of African Descent.

The Black Offender Strategy has been designed in 2 phases. Phase 1 includes many no or low-cost items that are already underway, including pilots initiated at the local and regional level that will be scaled up over the 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 fiscal years. Phase 2 outlines new initiatives CSC would like to undertake; however, they require sources of funding. Many of these initiatives align directly with the recommendations of Canada’s Black Justice Strategy External Steering Group and those of the Correctional Investigator, such as dedicated programming for Black offenders and a dedicated liaison officer position for Black offenders in institutions and in the community.

As part of CSC’s Black Offender Strategy, the Black Community Reintegration Officer (BCRO) position, which is being piloted in several regions (as noted above), and the Black Social History, in other regions, guidance documents have been developed to outline expectations on these pilots. While the approach will allow for regional flexibility, priorities, needs and considerations, consistent implementation across all regions will create an opportunity to better measure effectiveness as it expands to other regions as a best practice.

In July 2024, an initial draft of the Black Offender Strategy was shared internally as well as with CSC’s NEAC for consultation. The strategy will be shared with offenders for consultation in January 2025. A third phase may be added to address their feedback.

Health Strategy for Black Offenders

CSC’s Health Services (HS) is committed to developing a health strategy for incarcerated Black individuals to enhance the provision of culturally safe and responsive care that meets the specific needs of this population. It will include ensuring a workforce representation that aligns with the offender population, with particular attention to overrepresented groups, including Black offenders, as part of the Health Human Resources Strategy.

Indigenous Health and Wellness Action Plan

HS remains committed to developing an Indigenous Health and Wellness (IHW) Action Plan, stemming from our engagement with Indigenous individuals in custody. This engagement led to numerous recommendations that were shared for validation with the Elders and staff who participated in the Indigenous engagement. Following this validation exercise and additional consultation across sectors, further refinement of the recommendations is underway to be included in the IHW Action Plan. HS is in the process of developing its IHW Action Plan, with some key proposed activities prioritized for implementation in 2024 to 2025. Further updates on this initiative will be available in the Fall 2024.

3. Stakeholders

CSC works with many civil society stakeholders and partners, including non-governmental agencies, community groups, experts, advisory committees and volunteers, to facilitate the safe return of offenders to communities, as well as maintain the well-being of offenders and communities. CSC also provides services to victims to uphold their rights to information, protection and participation.

The following are anti-racism actions being taken as an organization with our external stakeholders.

3.1 Stakeholder engagement strategy to support the work of the task force (ongoing)

In 2022, CSC’s Anti-Racism Champion, the Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, Culture and Engagement, accompanied by employees of the ARDEI Directorate, initiated an internal and external stakeholder engagement strategy to support the implementation of the Anti-Racism Framework.

Consultation sessions were organized across the country from November 2022 to March 2024 to engage with staff including management; Black, Indigenous, other racialized offenders; members of CSC’s advisory committees; and community-based organizations. Discussions took place in institutions of all security levels, healing lodges, community parole offices and Correctional Community Centers, allowing us to present the ARDEI Directorate’s role as well as CSC’s ongoing commitment to addressing systemic racism and discrimination.

These consultations provided the Directorate with the opportunity to hear about some of the challenges faced by our staff, understand the lived experiences of some offenders in our care and custody and to witness the readiness of volunteers and community organizations to provide help and culturally adapted support. Key insights were gathered from offenders and formerly incarcerated individuals, guided by the principle of “nothing about us without us.” Our team is working on a "What We heard Report" to be shared with regions, sectors and CSC's advisory committees to identify some opportunities to address certain gaps and concerns identified by staff and offenders. Feedback and comments gathered during these consultations has been instrumental in shaping the ARDEI Framework and Actions and CSC’s Black Offender Strategy.

As the regional consultations did not include diversity issues related to gender, sexual orientation, and disability, as part of the stakeholder engagement strategy, ARDEI will continue to conduct informal engagements to capture intersectional perspectives. In addition, initial discussions took place in the summer 2024 with the Federal Muslim Employee Network. CSC will be exploring efforts for combatting anti-Arab racism, to increase actions and awareness of the impact of the Israeli-Palestinian war and the increase of Islamophobic, anti-Arab racism in Canada.

3.2 Increase horizontal collaboration to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous and Black offenders in the criminal justice system (Ongoing)

National Ethnocultural Advisory Committee (NEAC)

For more than 20 years, CSC has supported a NEAC, made up of volunteers from the community who come from ethnocultural backgrounds or have experience working in the area of multiculturalism. Their ongoing advice to CSC on services, interventions, and community engagement strategies continue to contribute to ethnocultural offender reintegration and enhance public safety. In November 2023, members met the Commissioner and senior management at their annual in-person meeting. Anti-Racism, diversity, and inclusion, reintegration services for ethnocultural offenders, employment equity, and Use of Force incidents were among the topics discussed. Justice Canada was also invited to present on Canada’s Black Justice Strategy. The Committee was consulted in January 2024 on the development of the Black Justice Strategy and were provided updates in July 2024, where CSC also provided updates on its Black Offender Strategy.

The National Indigenous Advisory Committee (NIAC) provides advice to CSC on correctional policies and practices related to reintegration of Indigenous peoples in federal corrections. The NIAC meetings covered key updates on Indigenous Initiatives, including: CD 702 revisions, Elder contracts, and Indigenous justice priorities. Updates were provided on the: Port-Cartier evacuation, recidivism rates, and a new Health Centre of Excellence. Presentations addressed:

• Indigenous health and wellness
• Section 81 Healing Lodge research
• CSC’s health services standards
• Indigenous policing, and
• CSC’s new Culture Sector

IHW members stressed holistic healthcare, Elder support, and stronger community-policing communication. Other discussions included Indigenous corrections training and health initiatives.

Secure Certificate of Indian Status initiative

CSC and Indigenous Service Canada (ISC) continue to collaborate on the Secure Certificate of Indian Status initiative, meeting regularly to ensure successful implementation in each region. The initiative facilitated the training of CSC staff as trusted sources for the secure status card application. As of June 1, 2024, this has resulted in 1701 eligible Status First Nations individuals in federal custody or under federal community supervision receiving their SCIS.

To advance the work of the SCIS initiative and to support the reintegration of First Nations offenders, Health Services has collaborated with Indigenous Initiatives Sector (IIS), Reintegration Operations Division and Information Management Services on changes to the Offender Management System (OMS) to better identify and document First Nations offenders who are registered under the Indian Act and have a status card. These additions are integral to ensuring Indigenous people have proper identification prior to and upon release so that they can access entitlements conferred exclusively to registered First Nations persons, including health benefits, when in the community. The updates were integrated into OMS and released on April 13, 2024.

3.3 Work with partners to explore offender release and reintegration barriers and solutions (Ongoing)

Stakeholder Registry

In February 2023, CSC launched the Expression of Interest (EOI) to identify community groups and professionals representing Black, racialized and ethnocultural individuals interested in working with CSC to support offenders in our care and custody. These organizations and professionals were asked to submit an application with information about the services and supports they provide. This information was shared with regions and sites who continue to use contracts, as they do presently, to fund projects with external organizations. The EOI has allowed CSC to identify new organizations, to complement those it already works with, in order to match offender needs with organizations and professionals across the country.

In July 2024, as part of ongoing efforts to build and maintain relationships and increase offender access to diverse partners and community stakeholders, CSC created a new national Stakeholder Registry for internal use. The registry will serve as an additional tool for frontline staff when seeking to identify community supports for offenders. The registry is a repository of general information on select community supports (groups, organizations or individuals) already offering, or seeking to offer, services to offenders within CSC’s sites.

Enhancing Community Success Project

As part of an interdepartmental partnership agreement, CSC and Indigenous Services Canada continue to collaborate on activities to support the offenders in our care in preparation for release and following up while they are release within the communities. Current initiatives include the Enhancing Community Success (ECS) project, which aims to improve post-release access to community resources for recognized Status First Nations and Inuit as well as enhance CSC staff knowledge of available resources to support release planning and community reintegration activities. The project introduces an ISC Resource Coordinator at select sites to assist CSC staff in obtaining community resource information and referral options to address the release needs of our offenders, with particular attention to resources that are Indigenous-focused. Adopting a phased approach, the ECS project was first rolled out in Saskatchewan in June 2024; planning is underway for implementation in other identified regions.

Directed Faith Community Reintegration Projects

In December 2022, CSC’s Chaplaincy Services implemented a new initiative called Directed Faith Community Reintegration Projects with a focus on providing culturally appropriate faith-based responses to the reintegration needs of racialized offenders, or those representing a non-dominant religious tradition, who are returning to the community. The first of these contracts was issued to support Muslim offenders returning to the Toronto/ Hamilton area.

From 2023 to 2024, significant progress was made in leveraging resources and capacity within the Muslim community to support these offenders. During the same period, Chaplaincy Services engaged in consultations with stakeholders to provide the framework for similar the Directed Faith Community Reintegration Projects to begin in 2024 to 2025 for Black offenders returning to the Halifax area and for Sikh offenders in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.

Offender Reintegration Contribution Program (IORCP)

The Offender Reintegration Contribution Program (IORCP) supports communities that rehabilitate and reintegrate Indigenous offenders through funding provided from the Community Reintegration Fund (CRF) to enhance reintegration support for Indigenous men and women offenders transitioning from institutions to community or urban life. The funding includes various initiatives that offer job training, trauma and addiction counseling, and specialized support such as gang exit initiatives. Additionally, some organizations focus on life skills development, ensuring a comprehensive approach to successful reintegration.

3.4 Develop an outreach strategy to reach victims of crime in Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities (Ongoing)

The Victim Services Stakeholder Registry continues to be updated including fields that will allow staff members to distinguish what services every resource provides and which population(s) each stakeholder serves (for example, men, women, Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQIA+, etc.). This assists us in conducting targeted outreach to populations who are underrepresented as registered victims (for example, Indigenous or Black victims).

These ongoing efforts to develop meaningful relationships with community partners and find ways to increase outreach with other victim-serving organizations across the country, are part of the Victim Services Outreach Strategy for 2021 to 2022, to 2023 to 2024, which will be renewed in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year.

New Initiatives

CSC continues to undertake new initiatives aimed at advancing partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

National plan for partnerships with stakeholders to improve health services

CSC is developing a comprehensive national plan for health-specific partnerships, which will explore, build and strengthen partnerships with stakeholders, external health services and other organizations that enable CSC to provide culturally responsive and person-centered health care to people in federal care. The plan will ensure that appropriate consideration is given to building partnerships that will further enhance services to specialized groups of patients, including, but not limited to patients who are Indigenous, Black, elderly, and those with gender considerations.

Health Services began a series of education sessions in 2023 focused on unconscious bias in health care. Additional sessions were hosted between January 2023 and May 2024, which included:

• Confronting Social Inequities in Care: Challenges and Opportunities
• How Unconscious Bias Plays into the Decisions That We Make in Healthcare; and
• Treatment Planning for Racism-Related Stress Among Inmates of Color

Regional Initiatives

Atlantic Region

Workshops and staff engagement sessions

The Atlantic region contracted an educator, guidance counsellor from the Nova Scotia public school system and member of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Advisory Committee on Diversity and Human Rights, to provide Afrocentric workshops on African Canadian history, cultural awareness, and resilience to both staff and offenders at each site.

Participating offenders expressed appreciation for the culturally responsive safe space in which these sessions were held. It was noted that some offenders, who would rarely speak in their CSC core programs (for example, correctional and educational programs), were motivated and engaged to speak, share, and learn.

The workshops included follow-up discussions with CSC staff on the offender population, how to reach or build relationships with the ethnocultural learner, how to increase their capacity for allyship and how to improve results in education and correctional programs.

Maintaining partnerships with community organizations

Working with communities to advance anti-racism involves a collaborative and inclusive approach. The Atlantic region has been heavily engaged in maintaining community partnerships with key organizations such as 902 ManUp, the Association of Black Social Workers, Urban Rez and others. With a particular focus on the empowerment of Black men, including those who are incarcerated and need assistance with successful reintegration, they also supported offender awareness of the impact of incarceration on children and increased their skills on how to parent when not physically present.

Targeted efforts were also made to provide culturally responsive interventions to address the area of mental health as it relates to offenders of African descent via a community resource and identifying their healing needs in dealing with race-based trauma.

Ethnocultural Book Club

The Black Inmates and Friends Association (BIFA) Book Club was established at the Atlantic Institution. It is noted that this institution has one of the largest numbers of incarcerated offenders of African descent in the region. It is also a maximum-security institution located in a remote area of Northern New Brunswick, where there is not a large Black community. The book club was an attempt at providing culturally relevant programs of interest to this population. This created a unique opportunity to discuss events related to Black culture that were familiar with their personal experiences. The group included members of various religious and cultural backgrounds. It provided the participants with not only an avenue for personal growth and development, but also with a feeling of inclusion and belonging. It is worthy to note there was a feature article on CSC’s intranet highlighting the success of this program.

As a follow-up to the BIFA Book Club, Lesra Martin was a keynote speaker to the ethnocultural offender population. This provided a culturally responsive and safe space to hold a discussion. Mr. Martin was once an inner-city youth who struggled with literacy, but he was given the opportunity to change his life by individuals who believed in his potential. It is also worthy to note that 1 participant who is currently released into the community continues to reference Mr. Martin’s empowerment book in his interactions with his CMT.

Afrocentric Drumming Workshops

Therapeutic African Drumming Workshops are effective in coping with challenging lifestyle environments. This workshop includes a brief history of African drumming, interactive drumming teachings, types of drums, the importance of drums in the African setting, and how they are made. Drums play an important role in every aspect of the lives of those of African descent, including the physical, emotional, and spiritual. This workshop provided a healing opportunity, a connectedness to one’s culture, and a learning opportunity for others. It was held in the community for Nova Scotia District staff and at Nova Institution for Women and Dorchester Penitentiary for both staff and offenders.

Ontario Region

Urban Rez Solutions: Ounce of Prevention Program

Through a contract, the community-based organization, Urban Rez, delivered their Ounce of Prevention program at Collins Bay Institution and Beaver Creek Institution. Their program is Black-centered and designed to provide cultural and Security Threat Group (STG) disaffiliation supports to offenders. It was very well received. There were 14 participants at Collins Bay Institution and 17 at Beaver Creek Institution that completed at least some or the entire program.

Black Mental Health Canada

The Ontario Region engaged in a contract with Black Mental Health Canada (BMHC) for the facilitation of workshops for offenders in our institutions and several community parole offices. These workshops occurred during the latter part of March 2022 for male offenders and later for female offenders. These workshops discussed why there is a need for Black-specific mental health care, the history, barriers behind Black communities and mental health help. They were an open forum that was described by BMHC as culturally safe spaces for discussion and questions. Many offenders participated across the region and the workshops were well received.

Cultural Barber Program

During the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, Bath Institution hosted a Cultural Barber Program. This program was funded with input from regional programs, CORCAN, and its institution. It involved a contractor attending the site for several sessions to teach barbering skills to a group of offenders that included a cultural learning component as well.

Cultural presentation

Senior managers also attended a presentation by Dr. Owusu-Bempah for Black History Month in February, National Day for Indigenous Peoples in June, and a Black Social History Committee presentation in July. Participation has included staff and senior managers from sites as well as Regional Headquarters.

Quebec Region

Community In-Reach

A Black slam artist and former inmate met with ethnocultural offenders at all the male institutions in the region, with the exception of those at Donnacona and Port-Cartier Institutions. The objective of the program was to encourage offenders to channel their emotions in a creative manner, and to motivate ethnocultural inmates to live the best version of themselves.

A Black social entrepreneur and motivator provided an engagement session on mental resilience, with a musical component to support mental wellness and validate and Black culture at all the institutions in the region.

A Black Psychosocial Counsellor visited all the institutions and facilitated group discussions with ethnocultural offenders on the theme of re-learning to get to know yourself better to move forward to promote mental wellness.

Therapeutic activities were organized at different sites that gave inmates the opportunity to share their testimony through a Slam Poetry event under the theme “Black and Proud”. Other writing workshops on “the art of coloring with words” were organized for Black offenders with the focus being on mental health. Inmates were motivated by the testimony and learned that writing can be an outlet for them.

Other projects included conferences, events and workshops on a variety of subjects, such as diversity, art therapy, world music, the purchase of books by ethnocultural authors, documentaries and food/hygiene products needed by ethnocultural inmates.

Prairie Region

Community In-Reach

The Prairie Region’s education and awareness event, held at the Calgary Urban Area Parole Office with Muslim offenders, resulted in increased awareness regarding the lived experience of Muslim community members. Assisting CSC employees in meeting the needs of ethnocultural offenders at the site level while increasing cultural responsiveness amongst employees was the goal of this event.

Stony Mountain Institution’s Ethnic Garden Project to grow vegetables was successful. Excess vegetables were offered to a charitable organization that supports new immigrants.

An educational event on the Impact of Race and Culture Assessments and social history factors was offered in the region, which was well received. The insightful discussion shed light on disparities within the system and proposed strategies of cultural assessments, rehabilitation programming, and reintegration of Black offenders.

Pacific region

Community Connections

The region connects with Vancouver Black Therapy and Advocacy Foundation for mental health services specifically for Black offenders.

Ethnocultural Committee

An Ethnocultural Committee has been created at Mission Institution that will be comprised of ethnocultural groups and will work closely with the Inmate Welfare Committee to ensure that the needs of offender groups are being heard, considered, and addressed. The inmate Ethnocultural Representative will be part of this committee.

Intersections Magazine

The annual Intersections Magazine, initiated by offenders at William Head Institution in 2022, continues to unite creative works from inmates from across the country for wide distribution in a printed magazine, which provides a platform for creative voices to be heard and seen. A digital copy can be accessed through the website of the community partner, the Nanaimo African Heritage Society here: Intersections Magazine

Regional Black Offender Strategy

The Pacific Region finalized the Regional Black Offender Strategy.

Regional Hygiene and Cultural Products

A working group consisting of the Assistant Wardens, Management Services and Institutional Supplies and Services was established and have been meeting to standardize health and hygiene kits for Black offenders as well as ethnocultural items in the canteen. The Pacific Region will provide Black inmates the same kit that is available in the Atlantic region to ensure consistency across the country. As of July 2024, the new regional instructions increased the number of ethnocultural canteen items available to offenders from 5 to 30.

Next steps 2024 and beyond

Scaling

CSC remains committed to scaling promising practices and pilot projects. Scaling involves transforming successful interventions from pilot projects into standard practices. These initiatives often emerge from unique contexts, shaped by a combination of employee champions, organizational culture, partnerships, and available resources. CSC is also dedicated to integrating new evidence-based practices into its policy framework, ensuring that effective innovations are anchored and sustained across the organization.

Performance measurement

A national dashboard for Black offenders will be created and shared with all regions based on specific output indicators. Results in the dashboards will be monitored to identify trends and disparities in comparison to national numbers across all racial groups. Trend analysis will contribute to developing a strategic plan for addressing site or regionally specific issues and concerns.

Equity lens

The Champion for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion wants to encourage the utilization of supportive tools to promote further understanding of possible systemic issues and solutions. This includes looking at our policies, practices and programs through an ARDEI lens.

CSC has developed an Equity Lens with the help of external DEI experts. It will soon be available to all employees as they review internal programs, policies and practices.

Conclusion

CSC's comprehensive approach to addressing systemic racism, promoting mental health and well-being, and fostering diversity and inclusion reflects a commitment to creating a more equitable and supportive environment for offenders, employees and stakeholders. Through strategic initiatives, ongoing consultations, and a focus on building a diverse and inclusive workforce, CSC is driving positive change and working towards a more inclusive and progressive organizational culture.

In fall 2024, CSC lost a valued member of its Executive Committee, Peter Linkletter, Assistant Commissioner, Policy Sector. Peter was an extremely passionate public servant – a passion that he also applied to his tireless involvement with the Pride Network and CSC’s Positive Space Network. He was CSC’s National 2SLGBTQIA+ and Positive Space Champion. Giving back and fostering inclusion were always priorities for Peter and he was a true leader in this space, both internally and externally to CSC. We dedicate this report to the memory of Peter Linkletter, whose dedication to creating inclusive spaces within CSC left a lasting impact.